Category Archives: Politics

Mukul Roy addressed his first rally as BJP Leader on November 10. From the stage, he unleashed a flurry of attacks on the ruling establishment in Bengal. The so-called ‘Chanakya’ was liberal with facts, and so his political rhetoric was full of inconsistencies and ironies.

In this post, I attempt to ask Mukul Roy some questions, and set the record straight.

A meme doing the rounds on WhatsApp

Mukul Roy: I am reminded of 2006 where people were dying and CM was attending film festival. Only the CM has changed but the situation is same. People are dying of dengue and she is attending nacha-gaana.

Counter: Unlike her predecessor, Mamata Banerjee has not relinquished her duties as Chief Minister. The film festival is an important event in the cultural calendar of the State. Even before attending the inaugural ceremony, an important stock-taking meeting was held at Nabanna for projects of the rural development ministry.

Before preaching about dengue deaths, Mukul Roy should see the state-wise statistics of deaths due to vector-borne diseases. BJP-ruled States are the worst performers. The casualties in Bengal are much lesser, thanks to the initiatives of the State Govt.

Mukul Roy: TMC slogan was bodla noy, bodol chai. Only little has changed while politics of vengeance has been unleashed. This kind of politics to silence Opposition in Bengal is unprecedented.

Counter: Mr Roy should feel ashamed that he feels nothing has changed in Bengal. Has he forgotten the sacrifice of thousands of Congress and TMC workers? Has he forgotten the bloodied past of Singur, Nandigram, Netai, Keshpur? Can he point to a single case of mass murder or massacre under Mamata? Does he not see the smiles on the faces of people of Jangalmahal? Amlashole gets rice at Rs 2/kg now. Is this not a change?

Mukul Roy: False cases are being registered. Police is being misused. In a democracy I have the right to protest.

Counter: Former MP Somen Mitra is on record saying Mukul Roy confided in him that the latter was out of jail only because of Arun Jaitley. Look at BJP’s track record of the misuse of CBI. It is ironical that Mukul Roy himself had addressed several pressers on the vindictive politics of BJP in the past.

Counter: Indulging in political rhetoric without any basis in facts seems to be the pre-requisite to joining BJP. Mukul Roy is suffering from the same disease.

It is a matter of record that Bengal Government has won Krishi Karman for six years in a row since 2011. Is this not a sign of “hashi”? More than 69 Lakh Kisan Credit Cards have been distributed so far. Farmer’s household income more than doubled, while Modi has failed to deliver on his poll promise.

It is true Bengal has had a negative image when it comes to industries. There is a history behind this perception. In the last six years, this legacy has been shed off. Thanks to the successful organisation of Bengal Global Business Summit three years in a row, the world now recognises Bengal as an investment destination. 40% of proposals received are under process while the figure for Gujarat is 1% only.

The core strength of Bengal is the MSME sector where the State has seen unprecedented growth in six years. The bank credit growth is the highest in the country. So when Mukul Roy says there is no ‘khushi’ in Bengal, does he mean khushi among BJP cadres?

Mukul Roy: Like Jyoti babu, Mamata Banerjee is also going to London to bring investments. But no investment has come in. At least Jyoti babu used to go alone, she takes an entourage with her.

Counter: As I have already said, Bengal has a legacy of negative image. Mamata Banerjee’s trips may not bring immediate investments, but they go a long way in changing the perception of the State. Instead of petty political partisanship, should the BJP not feel proud every time the State earns laurels abroad?

Mukul Roy: TMC had said there will be no politicisation of education. Can I ask, who is the VC of CU? An incompetent party cadre has been put on the chair.

Counter: What is Mukul’s view on saffronisation of education under BJP? Pray, what are the credentials of Gajendra Chauhan, Smriti Irani and their ilk? What is the qualification of the chief of ICHR? Has he forgotten how BJP meddled in the affairs of JNU?

Mukul Roy: Healthcare in Bengal is in shambles. Multi speciality hospitals are being built where there are no doctors or patients

Counter: Bengal is the national model when it comes to setting up fair price medicine shops. There has been a huge increase in healthcare infrastructure in Bengal which has resulted in significant reduction in infant mortality rate. Institutional delivery rate has risen from 65 to 90%.

Mukul Roy should rather have a chat on healthcare with the health minister of UP, who had ironically said ‘Bhaag Mukul Bhaag’ in 2015, on the deaths of newborns in Gorakhpur.

Mukul Roy: I quit TMC because we have been failed to fulfil our electoral promises. There is no democracy inside the party.

Counter: Between 2011-15, did Mukul Roy not attend inauguration of government schemes and projects? Were they false? Which promise has not been fulfilled?

The Trinamool Congress gave an account of work done in their 2016 Manifesto. Mukul Roy was in the party back then. Did he not believe in his own party’s manifesto?

The people of Bengal have voted Didi to power for a second term with record 211 seats. Is this not democracy? Is this not an endorsement of her work?

Mukul Roy: Biswa Bangla is not a govt organisation. It is a company. Owner is Abhishek Banerjee. Jago Bangla, the mouthpiece of TMC, is registered in the name of Abhishek Banerjee

Counter: The Home Secretary of Bengal has already countered Mukul Roy’s false claim about Biswa Bangla. I need not add more.

Mukul Roy: Mamata’s appeasement policy is fuelling communalism. Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja are being banned. This is an assault on Bengali culture

Counter: Durga Puja was never banned. Restrictions were put up for Bishorjon by the police due to Muharram. As I had written earlier, in Durga Pujo, ghot bishorjon is the main ritual on Dashami, which happens at the pandal itself. Idol immersion is not guided by scriptures.

Mukul Roy is speaking the language of BJP. Tolerance and harmony have been Bengali culture for eons. Armed rallies on Ram Navami have never been part of BJP culture. What appeasement is he talking about? Kanyashree, Sikshashree, Sabuj Sathi, Khadya Sathi, Gatidhara, Gitanjali – who are the beneficiaries? People of all religions, caste and creed.

Mamata Banerjee attends the festivals and programmes of all religions. But BJP has a problem only when she attends Muslim functions.

Mukul Roy: I was present at Delo during CM’s meeting with Sudipto Sen. Raghavendra Singh and Kunal Ghosh were also present. Initial conversation was about tourism and business initiatives. Then I left. Meetings were held at Suvaprasanna’s house, Pratidin office. Sudipto Sen invested in Rs 840 crore for tourism, ambulance.

Counter: If he was privy to this information, why did not share it with investigative agencies for 4 years? Why did he conceal? Is it also not a matter of record that Mukul Roy was the last person to call up Saradha Chairman before he escaped to Kashmir?

Mukul Roy: So many festivals are being organised but State has no money for employees.

Counter: Every department has a budget of which festivals are a small part. Mukul Roy himself attended these festivals until two years ago. Did his conscience not prick him back then? A lot of self-help groups and artistes earn livelihood from these festivals. Is Mukul Roy against their interests? As for employees, a pay commission has been set up. Despite the huge debt burden, the State Govt is giving DA to employees to the best of its ability. If Mukul really cares about finances of Bengal, he should ask Jaitley to grant a moratorium to the State.

Mukul Roy: TMC is not a political party. It has become a limited company.

“The ardour of Deepavali has been dampened in the whole state by the events in Nandigram. Several villages in Nandigram are oscillating from the deepest gloom to panic. Even as of 4pm this day, I have received phone calls from responsible persons in Nandigram saying that several huts are ablaze.

Large numbers of villagers have taken refuge in the local high school in Nandigram, bereft of food and personal security. At the time of writing, the most accurate description for Nandigram is the one used by our Home Secretary, namely, it has become a “war zone”. No government or society can allow a war zone to exist without immediate and effective action.”

These ominous words by then Governor of West Bengal, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, on November 9, 2007 are an indication of the large-scale horror and violence unleashed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Nandigram. Ten years later, the Governor’s words still ring in our ears, reminding of the anarchist, dictatorial regime that once ruled Bengal.

The historic protest march in Kolkata on November 14, 2007

Nandigram had been on the boil since January, 2007, when the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee led government decided to set up a chemical hub in Nandigram and wanted to forcibly acquire land there. The same party, which was against SEZ elsewhere in India, was vocally supporting an SEZ for a private Indonesian company. Farmers reused to part with their land and the Party unleashed its harmad goons.

Things escalated when police opened fire on protesting farmers on March 14, 2007, killing 14 (official figures; villagers allege hundreds were killed and thrown into a nearby river). Villagers started fleeing their homes and for months, Nandigram became a ‘muktanchal’ (free zone) for CPI(M) cadres. By the end of October, 2007 when the villagers started returning home, the harmads launched a ‘recapture’ spree that led to unprecedented violence.

“Nandigram has become a slaughter house with blood being shed every day. CPM might be at the helm of affairs but the state still belongs to us,” said National Award winning director Aparna Sen, who along with the likes of Rituparno Ghosh, Bratya Basu, Kaushik Sen, Bibhas Chakraborty and other intellectuals boycotted the ongoing Kolkata Film Festival.

There was a outpouring of public anger, which led to a ‘maha michil’ on November 14 in the heart of Kolkata, decrying the barbaric violence by CPI(M) in Nandigram.

The 34 years of Leftist rule in Bengal is marred by unbridled violence. From Marichjhanpi to Memari, Sainbari to Singur, Nandigram to Netai, Nanoor to Keshpur – the comrades left no stone unturned to ensure there is no political opposition to them. Thousands of people have been slaughtered to keep communism alive in Bengal.

They say a nation cannot progress unless you take lessons from history. As Bengal stares at new political formulations in coming days, it is all the more essential to remember the bloodied past and the cost at which ‘Poriborton’ came in 2011.